1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural tillage tools, and, more particularly, to an indexed seedbed tillage tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of tillage implements to prepare soil for planting. Some such implements include two or more sections coupled together to perform multiple functions as they are pulled through fields by a tractor. For example, a field cultivator is capable of simultaneously tilling soil and leveling the tilled soil in preparation for planting. A field cultivator has a frame that carries a number of ground-engaging tilling implements for tilling the soil. The field cultivator converts compacted soil into a level seedbed with a consistent depth for providing excellent conditions for planting of a crop. Residual crop material disposed on top of the soil is worked into the soil, and weeds or other undesired plants are destroyed and worked into the soil.
Tillage equipment prepares the soil by way of mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of tillage include plowing (overturning with moldboards or chiseling with chisel shanks), disking, harrowing, sweeping, and cultivating with cultivator shanks.
Seedbed tillage tools have been used in agricultural use for decades. Early-in row crops such as corn, where a good seedbed is a critical part of raising high-yielding corn, disk harrows were widely used in early years and over a period of time have been replaced by the field cultivator in order to create a more level seedbed.
Tillage is often classified into two types, vertical and horizontal. There are no strict definition of these two types; typically, though, vertical tillage is performed with implements such as colters or spider wheels. Horizontal tillage, on the other hand, is performed with implements such as sweeps. There are various beneficial and detrimental aspects of vertical and horizontal tillage, depending upon aspects of the situation including soil conditions, equipment, crops to be planted, etc.
One problem with horizontal tillage may include an abrupt change in the soil density as a result of soil compaction caused by “smearing”, which could inhibit good root growth for a young plant such as corn, and result in a decrease of yield. Multiple equipment passes are sometimes necessary to achieve the desired seedbed, which is expensive in time and money as well as induces more soil compaction. A farmer must often compromise when selecting one or both of vertical and horizontal tillage.
Various remedies have been tried to address smearing such as broadcast vertical tillage and strip-tilling, but each has its own disadvantages as well. Broadcast vertical tillage must have a level surface prior to being used and may not adequately remove tire tracks, while strip-tilling must be performed under ideal conditions and difficulty in keeping a planter on the strips.
What is needed in the art is a seedbed tillage arrangement that combines the best results of vertical and horizontal tillage.